Bring a chanukiah and dreidels; play a dreidel game with gelt or tokens.
Children wonder and discover; you facilitate more than you lecture.
- How do we remember special things that happened long ago?
- Why do we celebrate at this time of year?
Chanukah celebrates a small jar of oil that lasted eight nights. We light the chanukiah, play dreidel, and eat foods fried in oil like sufganiyot and latkes.
- Chanukiah — the eight-branch menorah
- Dreidel — spinning top
- Sufganiyot — jelly donuts
- “Is Chanukah Jewish Christmas?”
- No — it’s its own happy Jewish holiday about a miracle of light and being proud to be Jewish.
- Children can name Chanukah customs: chanukiah, dreidel, sufganiyot.
- Children hear the story of the oil that lasted eight nights.
Affirm children in interfaith homes who may celebrate more than one holiday; both can be joyful and there’s no conflict in being proud of Chanukah.
Folktale. The Cruse of Oil (Talmudic) — one tiny jar of oil — and a lot of hope — lasts eight whole nights.
Changemaker. Judah Maccabee — led a few hundred people out of the hills against an enormous army, for three years, because a king had said Jewish people were not allowed to be Jewish any more.
I wonder where I could bring a little light or hope?
“We counted the eight nights! Try at home: light your chanukiah and let your child share the oil story. Song linked on the hub.”